SAP joins hands with Karnataka to train 15,000 youth in emerging tech

BENGALURU: As engineers are increasingly finding it tough to get jobs, State and Central government is partnering with technology companies to get them up to speed with relevant technologies and make them job-ready.

SAP will collaborate with the Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology (ITBT and S&T), Karnataka government, to skill 15,000 people in the next three years.

The initiative is aimed at training this workforce from engineering colleges in emerging tech areas such as blockchain, IoT and Artificial Intelligence.

‘Yuva Yuga’

This collaboration is to support ’Yuva Yuga’, an industry-led IT skill development programme initiated by the Department of ITBT.

The Department will promote skill development across ten sectors, among youth across multiple industries, free of cost.

The industry often spends a large portion of their resources on skilling their workforce as there is a gap in what is taught in higher studies and the actual skills required at a work place, according to Priyank Kharge, Karnataka ITBT Minister. The Yuva Yuga programme aims to fill that gap by providing them the required skills, he added.

Dilipkumar Khandelwal, Managing Director, SAP Labs India, believes that the initiative will go beyond scratching the surface in terms of re-skilling but will provide access to technology and experts.

India produces 1.5 million engineers every year and 8 out of 10 lack the skills to be employable when they quit college. Salma K Fahim, Director, ITBT said: “We see the industry actively participate and help fill gaps in the skill sets of students to make them industry ready and employable.”

Additionally, Khandelwal said that SAP will also support the government in creating employment opportunities for at least 50 per cent of trained people.

Earlier in the day, IBM has partnered with the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship to offer a two-year Advanced Technical Diploma Program, co-created and designed by IBM, which will be offered at the Industrial Training Institutes. Post the course completion, students will be given a five-month paid internship at IBM.